SINGAPORE 2010: A330-200F to undergo hot weather tests today

Airbus is undertaking hot-weather tests of its A330-200 freighter aircraft at the Singapore Airshow over the weekend.

"The tests are designed to demonstrate that all the aircraft systems function correctly after prolonged periods on the ground with all power off in extremely hot and humid conditions," says Airbus.

"The tests will also determine how long it takes after power-up for the air conditioning systems to cool down the aircraft to the temperatures required for normal operation."

Aircraft systems will be shut down from 17:00hr today, says Airbus. They will be powered up again at 14:30hr tomorrow, when temperatures and humidity levels are expected to be at their highest in Singapore.

"On-board flight test equipment will gather the results of the first test, which will then be repeated, starting at 17:00hr on Saturday evening and ending on Sunday afternoon before the aircraft departs from the airshow," adds Airbus.

Pascal Verneau, Airbus test flight engineer in charge of the A330-200F certification programme, says: "The conditions in Singapore at this time of the year are perfect for such tests with temperatures in excess of 30 degrees and humidity levels of around 90 per cent."

The aircraft in Singapore is the first of two A330-200Fs undergoing a 200 hour certification programme. The Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered flight-test aircraft (MSN1004) went through cold-weather tests in Canada last month.